THE ABBEY & MVU TEAM UP TO EAT LOCALLY
By Ruthie Laroche
For the County Courier
The Abbey Group and the MVU Animal Science Department have joined forces to bring locally raised, farm-fresh beef to the MVU student body.
“The Abbey Group has purchased fifty pounds of local beef from the Animal Science Department at MVU. We are pleased to be part of their program, and we are very excited to offer local beef to the MVU students,” said Tina Bushey, Foodservice Director for The Abbey.
Students from MVU made colorful signs that were placed around the school to let students know about the local beef.
“The students are very big on local here at MVU. The kids take pride in being able to have local products served to them at lunchtime,” said Bushey.
The Abbey Group hopes to continue to buy beef from the Animal Science Department on a monthly basis, purchasing fifty pounds a month and featuring the beef in different recipes each month.
“I would love to do a burger day with a homemade, fresh patty,” said Bushey.
Last week students at MVU had ‘Taco Tuesday,’ and the beef in the tacos was sourced directly from MVU’s campus.
Animal Science teacher Jim Messier and his students put a lot of time and effort into raising their beautiful, healthy steers each year.
“The students are a part of the process from start to finish,” Bushey said, “Mr. Messier has set it up so that his students not only raise the beef, but they will also interact with The Abbey doing the invoicing for the product they sell. This is what he is teaching them, and it’s great. It’s real-life experience.”
Bushey and The Abbey Group also hope to use eggs raised by the Animal Science Department in the future.
“Anything we can do to support our local farms and the school, we are very excited to do,” said Bushey.
The students in the Animal Science Program raise the animals themselves, taking part in every aspect of their care. Special attention is given to ensure that the animals are not only well fed but that they are also friendly with people.
“We’ve cared for these animals, and we know what they’ve eaten and how they’ve been treated. They are really loved while they are here,” said Luten.
Pick up a copy of this week’s County Courier for the remainder of this article.
